3. When God says…
– do not and we do –
– Do and we do not –

4. Six nations…
Jos 9:1  Now it came about when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country and in the lowland and on all the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, heard of it,

5. Seven nations…
Deu 7:1  "When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you,

6. “Joshua sent three proclamations to [the Canaanites in] the land of Israel prior to the [Israelites’] entry into the land: ‘Whoever wishes to emigrate should emigrate; [whoever wishes] to make peace should make peace; [and whoever wishes] to wage war should do so.’ The Girgashites emigrated, for they believed the Holy One, Blessed Be He, and they went to Afrike. The Gibeonites made peace. Thirty-one kings waged war and fell [in battle].” – Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman –

7. Make no covenant…
Exo 34:11-12  "Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, I am going to drive out the Amorite before you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. "Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst.

8. Gibeonites were Amorites
2Sa 21:2  So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the sons of Israel made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah).

9. Missing counsel…
Jos 9:14  So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD.

10. Missing counsel…
Jos 9:14  So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD.
Common sense is not a substitute for obedience to and wisdom from the Lord.

11. Missing counsel: The Command
Num 27:18, 21  So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;  …21  "Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his command they shall go out and at his command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation."

12. Missing counsel: The means
Exo 28:30  "You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before the LORD; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually.

13. Missing counsel: The means
1Sa 23:4-6  Then David inquired of the LORD once more. And the LORD answered him and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand."  5  So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines; and he led away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter. Thus David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.  6  Now it came about, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

14. Missing counsel: no answer
1Sa 28:6  When Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.

15. Missing counsel: The fear of the lord
Deu 17:18-19  "Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.  19  "It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes,

16. Missing counsel: The fear of the lord
Pro 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Psa 111:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.

17. Learning the fear of the Lord requires that we learn:
That He is
What He says
That He means what He says
To do what He says
That He rewards those who do

18. Missing counsel: acquiring wisdom
Psa 119:97-100 
O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts.

19. Missing counsel: acquiring wisdom
Jas 1:5  But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

20. Jos 9:16-27  It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land.  17  Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.  

21. 18  The sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders.  19  But all the leaders said to the whole congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.  

22.  20  "This we will do to them, even let them live, so that wrath will not be upon us for the oath which we swore to them."  21  The leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole congregation, just as the leaders had spoken to them.  22  Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you are living within our land?  

23.   23  "Now therefore, you are cursed, and you shall never cease being slaves, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."  24  So they answered Joshua and said, "Because it was certainly told your servants that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you; therefore we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.  

24.  25  "Now behold, we are in your hands; do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us."  26  Thus he did to them, and delivered them from the hands of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them.  27  But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place which He would choose.

25. Missing counsel: Mistake or moment?
Every decision is an opportunity for a mistake made without God or a moment spent with God

26. Missing counsel…
2Co 11:3  But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.